This week's reading reminded me of previous experiences I've had with digital tools and trying to connect with parents. As I read the chapters I was able to really reflect on what I've done in the past, the present, and how I want to expand or change what I do now.

About 6 years ago when I was teaching second grade in a different building I became very interested in using more technology in my classroom. I had been lucky enough to be one of a few teachers to have a Smartboard installed the previous year and had begun to see the possibilities for connecting my students to the outside world beyond our classroom and school. This realization came shortly after I started using Twitter. I had 2 computers in my classroom and that was all that was available. (LOL At least I have a computer lab in my new building!) I had heard about a set of Netbooks that were available to borrow from a Teacher Center about 15 minutes away. After harrassing contacting my superintendent regarding the need for wireless he was able to move a router from the office to my classroom so I could experiment with the Netbooks. I should also mention that he kindly showed up in my room one day with a webcam so that I could use Voicethread and Skype. I mention this story because I decided to have a Technology Day in my classroom and invite families to come in and experience the technology we were using. Of course it was a wonderful day as parents used the Smartboard, recorded on VoiceThread, posted comments on Kidblog and our class blog, and used other websites that my students were familiar with. However, as I now look back I realize my focus was on the technology instead of the learning. I have definitely grown since that time. Once I got over my, "OH, shiny new toy!" phase my need for authentic and meaningful use of these new digital tools began to kick in.

Love this quote from the book - great message - The Internet is a place where reading happens.

I will add to that: The Internet is a place where reading, writing and learning happens. It's a place to connect, create, collaborate and share. That is the message I want both my students and parents to hear.

Connecting with parents is very important to me, but I often feel like only a handful of families really know what is going on in our classroom. And so little student work actually goes home regularly because of the nature of a workshop classroom. Everything is in a notebook and I don't give regular traditional tests. I have a website with details about our day-to-day running of the classroom and helpful websites for home. We have a class blog where we write about our learning and share some of our class work. Only a few parents ever, if rarely post a comment to our blog. (Hmm...maybe they don't know how to do this?) This communication problem extends to our report cards which are only available online, unless parents request a printed version. We are able to find out how many parents log on and how often, and let me say it is not a very good statistic! Most of the elementary teachers report less that 10 families looking at the report card. There have been many conversations in the faculty room as to why we have such a poor interest in the report card. I think there are several reasons, but one that comes to mind after this weeks reading is understanding the digital tools. Do my parents know how to access the report card? Is the information meaningful to them? I'm guessing it may not be. I really need to find a better way to communicate with my parents about their student's learning. One thing I want to try more is student made videos - either tutorials or general information about our learning.

Franki suggests setting up communication goals for the year. So that is what I'm going to do right now!

I want my students to be able to connect with family, fellow classmates and more global audiences.

I want to have a space to share our learning.

I want to have a hub for general information and class activities.

I want my students to learn how to use the Internet safely and with good etiquette.

I would like to explore sharing individual work and information with parents digitally.

I have a class blog and I know I can use it better! My students enjoy commenting when in the computer lab, but few comment from home. I also want to increase our global audience. I think I will start a Class Twitter account! Trying to get parents more involved is a challenge. I though about having a Class Facebook page, because I know most of the parents have a Facebook page! It's the one social media place I have not entered yet. I use Instagram and Pinterest for personal use. Our district recently discontinued the platform we used for our teacher websites and is now using Google, so I am currently building my class site. All of the information I have learned from this #cyberPD will help me a lot.

It has been great reading this book with other educators! I can't wait to read other posts and comments.

Frankie's recalling of the 'rock girls' and how they easily transitioned from one tool to the next, whether it was digital or not was simply amazing...something I dream of. Ahhhhh...

Frankie's discussion about the Book Trailer assignment was very interesting. It was looking back and reflecting on her assignments that helped her to make necessary changes and have more successful Book Trailers. I find sometimes that is the best way for me to learn as a teacher! I dive in and try something out, then I can reflect and make changes. (When I say dive in, I do spend time planning first. LOL)

Thoughts on Authenticity
Questions about authenticity come up whether lessons are digital or more traditional. As I teach my students the skills they need to use Google Drive Apps I must balance the need for an authentic literacy experience with the need to teach my students HOW to use these tools. When I introduced Google Draw I found it necessary to let my third graders just play with the app for a period, similar to letting students play with math manipulatives before using them as a math tool.

Creating authentic literacy lessons that really help my students grow as readers and writers is a challenge, no matter the tool, digital or otherwise. (I had a moment, actually several, where I thought, "These people already have the traditional reading workshop down! What the heck! Where have I been?") But seriously, I am a work in progress when it comes to finding ways for students to respond personally and thoughtfully to text. I do think digital tools help make it more authentic.

We are picky about the books we bring into the classroom library so we must be picky about the digital text and tools we introduce too. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book so far!
My district recently purchased a subscription to an online program that provides leveled texts for students to read online. I think teachers can also print out some books too. Students have their own accounts and can take reading quizzes as well. I have to be honest and say that this program disturbs me just a bit. Is it the quizzes? Probably? Is it the leveled texts? Maybe. As I've said before I have limited access to computers so I haven't used the program yet. Is this really authentic reading? How can I use this program in an authentic manner? I would love to hear your opinion.

Thoughts on Digital Tools
Bev Gallagher's poetry experience reminded me that I have used Audioboom with my personal iPad even though I don't have wireless in my classroom....so I need to explore this tool more.

Cryslyn reminded me that I need to use digital tools more often to build background for my third graders. I have begun, but there is so much more I can be doing. I show videos to introduce lessons but I think it might be important to start modeling how to listen and take notes when using video. This part is very exciting! We do not have a science or social studies text so this seems like a perfect place to add more digital text and video.

Judy Johnson's lesson on critical thinking and evaluating websites was fabulous and hilarious! Where was she when I needed her this last winter? My one foray into research using Google was unsuccessful to say the least. I really didn't even know how to narrow down my lessons. I wanted them to know that all websites were not created equal, but how to do that with third graders? I finally gave up. Judy has given me some new ideas to think about.

Franki talked about curating collections of digital media for students. I have used Padlet to collect websites and videos for a unit on the Water Cycle. I want to explore Symbaloo now! I think this idea could be a great way to use my limited computer access.

I also loved how Scott Jones uses Padlet for Read Alouds. I think Padlet could be a great tool for me to expand upon. It's important to choose tools that have wide uses especially when technology is limited in the classroom.

SHARED READING: I do it a lot. In fact this is the main way my students see digital text. This weeks reading reinforced how powerful shared reading can be for my students. I got so many ideas for modeling how to read digital text. I also realized that I needed to start modeling how to understand all types of digital media.

CONNECTEDNESS
Franki is amazing. How she created her unit on communities was amazing... so much depth.

Connections - putting it all together and sharing it. Isn't that the final part of reading? But so many students don't understand that. Most only learn that when you are done reading you take a test. Just connecting a few times outside the classroom can open so many new doors for students. I have begun making connections outside the classroom as a whole class community. I would love to find more ways to do this.

The authors pose several questions that definitely resonate with me. How do we decide whether any new thing - especially technology related - has enough potential to try? How do we determine the best ways to use technology in order to teach reading in the digital age? It is easy to get lost in the newest, best technology because it may be flashy, or we are told it meets the common core standards. But for me it remains important that I continue to make reading authentic and meaningful for my third graders. I love how Franki uses the reading workshop as a framework. With the introduction of technology we don't have to start over or throw out the workshop methods.

"Just because students are 'good' with technology does not mean they are literate in the digital age." I definitely agree with this quote! Yes, my students use their parent's Smart Phones to play games. Many even have access to iPads, but very few of my students do anything but play games or take photos on these devices. As a teacher I am interested in introducing digital tools to my students and showing them how they may be used in their daily life. So I thought it might be helpful to list the different ways I am beginning to introduce these digital tools and as I continue with this cyberPD I can think about how I might continue or change the way I teach digital reading.

In my classroom I have one computer and a Smartboard that I use for my workshop mini-lessons.
- Youtube videos - I use videos for all sorts of comprehension and content lessons.
-Wonderopolis - great website for teaching non-fiction reading strategies
-Skype - I have connected with authors and other classrooms.
-Scholastic News - we can access our weekly magazine online with videos
-Class Blog - we share our learning and students learn to write comments.

Computer lab: We have access to the computer lab 2 - 3 periods per week. This year I began teaching my students how to use Google Drive.

How else might I use my "technology time" to teach my students how to use digital tools in authentic ways? I don't want my students to think going to the computer lab is a separate learning time - I want them to see how it is an extension to our literacy learning. How can I help them connect with other readers digitally? What are the skills I need to teach my students to help them be successful digital readers and writers? What other digital tools might I introduce to my students?

Sunday, February 22, 2015

My school district has recently introduced Google Apps for Education. I've used google docs myself for awhile now, mostly to share with teachers I meet through my twitter account. I've never used it with students. This year I moved from second grade to third grade. This required a move to an intermediate grade 3-5 school, which has a computer lab. I was excited to be able to explore ways we could create, share and communicate using technology!

In our district each student has been assigned a username and password for Google Drive. The username is very long and includes our school district name - Comsewogue - which I imagined would be a challenge. I created an index card for each student that included their username and password. These cards are held in a small basket which we bring to the computer lab. Their first assignment was to just sign in to their account. For most of the class this took nearly the entire 40 minute period. It took several students a couple lab periods to sign on to their account. After a month or so some students have their information memorized and most can sign-in fairly quickly.

A ROCKY START
For our first experience I thought would share a document with them and teach them how to chat using the commenting feature. We were going to begin a new read aloud chapter book soon, so I thought instead of doing the introduction and predictions in the typical fashion we would do it through a google document. Students were so excited! The first problem happened when I failed to mark comment only on the document. So even after modeling how to comment correctly, students began to type on the document, delete items and even make bizarre comments. It was actually hilarious to watch on my screen in real time. It was a great teachable moment for both myself and students. The following day I showed them how we could look at the history and see what got changed and who was responsible. The nice thing was that only their user number appears, not their actual name - so no one was embarrassed.

GOOGLE DRAW & PRESENTATION
Next, I introduced Google Draw. I showed students the different functions and just let them do a free draw before assigning any particular projects. I think of Google Draw like I would a poster, or a page in their learning log. It has both drawing and text features, so I could see endless possibilities.

In math we had been working on multiplication so I decided to introduce Google Presentation and have each student write a multiplication story problem using 2 slides. The first slide was for the story problem and the second slide was for the answer to the problem. Presentation has many similar functions as Draw so students were able to transfer their understanding easily. I taught them how to use the research tool to find clip art to go with their story. I thought learning how to share documents would be a challenge, but most students had no difficulty. To make it easy for sharing I shared a document with a list of everyone's account numbers, including mine. You can view our completed slide show with our Multiplication Stories here on our class blog.

COLLABORATING
For the next project students worked in pairs to create a Circle Thinking Map for the main character, Albie, in our read aloud, Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff. They used Google Draw and learned how to draw objects and move them to the back to create layers. When they were finished we printed them out to hang up in the classroom.

Most of my students don't have a lot of experience with technology beyond using their parents' smart phone and playing video games. Some have access to ipads and computers at home, but many families do not have computers or Internet access beyond their smart phone. These students come from a primary building that is restricted to 2-3 desk top computers, so I knew there would be a wide range of computing abilities depending on experiences at home. Other than the difficulties with signing on my students caught on very quickly. In fact, computer "experts" emerged quickly and instead of waving their hands in the air and waiting for me, they started helping each other out. Most naturally figured out things like how to use the tabs in Chrome to toggle between documents. Using the computer was very motivating and those students that often need lots of redirection in class were very engaged in the assignments. Of course the biggest challenge is that I was only able to sign our class up for 3 periods a week in the computer lab. (We have over 17 classrooms, so I am lucky that I got 3 periods.) Just like any other classwork there are those students who lag behind and need extra time to complete work. This is an easy fix in my classroom, but challenging nearly impossible in a computer lab setting. I tried creating a "catch up" day, but that means that these slower working students often don't get to do all the assignments. While they catch up, the rest of the class is trying something else. I want every minute of our computer lab time to be productive for all my students, so I am still working this out. Of course I know what you might be thinking! Students can use Google Drive at home and finish their work. In a perfect world this might be ideal. However, most of those students that need extra time also need extra help. And like I mentioned earlier, my students don't all have access to the Internet at home.

There are so many wonderful tools for students to share, create and communicate using technology. Google Drive is just one option for my students. I would love to hear how you have used Google Drive with your class, especially if you are an elementary student.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Well, it's been awhile since my last post. I have changed schools and grades, so this has occupied a lot of my time. I went from 2nd to 3rd and am very happy. It was time for a change. I am still in the same school district, but have moved to a grade 3-5 school.

Today it's all about the multiplication. And I promise to get to that...

First, I want to say that while I absolutely can't stand the politics behind the Common Core I would like to say that some of the standards aren't that bad. If you really read them you will probably agree that we fabulous educators were already teaching the standards as well as infusing critical thinking into our lessons all along. But today I want to complain about textbooks, particularly my math textbook, which our district adopted because it was aligned to the Common Core. I don't like it. In fact, I don't like most textbooks. I think I could write a much better version. Gosh, I'm so humble, aren't I? Why don't I like it? It is neither teacher or student friendly. Most lessons are cumbersome and have 2-3 objectives for students to learn in one lesson. Manipulatives are not built into the lessons and instead my students carry around a 2 inch thick workbook. The lessons are teacher-centered and require the teacher to stand and talk for hours. (ok, that is an exaggeration, but it feels like hours, especially when the kids are zoning out) Worst of all, is the fact that my third graders hate math. At least they did when I tried to stick to the textbook lessons. No elementary student should hate math! But, the textbook can be used with my Smartboard, you say. Isn't that wonderful? Who cares when I, the teacher, am still the center of the lesson. Sure, a few students can come up to the board and "interact" while the other 23 students draw smiley faces on the edge of their 2 inch workbook.

Enough of the complaining. Now I'm going to get to the good stuff.

I am fortunate enough to work in a district that does not require I use certain materials or programs. My superintendent and principal want me to use best practice in my teaching. Isn't that fabulous? So, put those bulky workbooks in your desk boys and girls - we're gonna learn some math.

Back to the multiplication. I have always been a fan of Marilyn Burns, the guru of math education. I was introduced to her lessons early when I was in college and continued to use many lessons and ideas from her books, published by Math Solutions. But it had been a while since I had done multiplication. Last week I pulled out my Circles and Stars lesson and it was a huge hit. I forgot how powerful this simple little game was, and how much insight it gave me into my students' thinking about multiplication.

Our discussions after a round of playing the game were energetic. Hands were up and everyone was engaged and wanted to share what they were beginning to notice. How do you write 1 group of 4 as a multiplication sentence? Oh look! Every time you do 1 times another number it equals that number! And they are equally delighted when they figure out zero groups of something is always zero. Did you know that 2 groups of 3 is the same answer as 3 groups of 2? And an investigation begins to find out if that is true for other numbers. And it's fun to see them comparing and contrasting multiplication to addition. Sometimes it seems I can see their little minds figuring it out and working through their confusion right there in front of me. These hands on activities are priceless. We must not let a textbook publisher determine how we teach a concept. We must remember their first priority is selling a product, not educating children. I do not think its wrong to make a profit, I simply think we, as educators. need to be smarter about the products we purchase and use in our classroom.

I've also involved my class in a study of multiples over several days. We began with brainstorming things that came in groups - these lists will be used in future problem solving as well. My students enjoyed creating T-charts to list the multiples of groups. How many legs on 1 spider, 2 spiders, etc? I thought using the hundred charts to color skip counting patterns would be baby-ish. I was wrong. This visual not only helped them see the pattern, but watching them incorrectly color the hundred charts showed me that many of my students didn't truly understand that skip counting was adding the same number over and over! If they didn't know that how could I expect them to connect skip counting to multiplication? Repeating these activities over several days helped my students to begin constructing their own understanding of multiplication. A worksheet could never do that!

So my teacher friends out there in blogging land - my message is to trust yourself. The textbook makes us feel rushed. Look at how much we have to cover! How will I get all these pages complete? You know there is no reason you have to do every page in the book. And a good hands-on activity often is a better bang for your buck - and covers several days of boring textbook instruction. If you don't like the lesson in the book, don't use it! Do you keep wondering why your students aren't "getting it"? Then try something different. Play a game. Do some hands-on activities. Do it more than once. There is so much value and learning in playing over several days. Slow down and enjoy the math!

I took the time to look through my non-fiction picture book read alouds for the last couple of years. I selected the books that my second graders responded to and really loved - the books that started conversations and the books that my students took off the shelf to look at again later. Please click on the book to view the summary at goodreads.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson

If you have not read this book, please run, do not walk (but don't slip on the ice) to your library and check this fabulous book out! Full of beautifully photographed snowflakes and exceptional illustrations that help to explain how a tiny snowflake is formed. It would pair nicely with Snowflake Bentley.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal.

As 2 cross country skiers explore the outdoors we learn about the secret world underneath the snow. My students love learning the word, subnivean.

Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Constance R. Bergum

And this book is a must to pair with Kate Messner's book! Here we get to take a close look at what those animals are doing during the winter under the snow, and underground. My students love comparing and contrasting the 2 books!

North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson and illustrated by Patrick Benson

Lyrical telling of the Loggerhead turtle's journey from hatching, to surviving in the ocean and returning to lay her eggs on the same beach she was born. Really, I would recommend any book by Nicola Davies!

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

I read this book to my class during our Mock Caldecott. I chose it because I am such a big fan of Melissa Sweet's illustrations and the wonderful story of a everyday person overcoming obstacles including war and a terrible injury. I loved reading the notes at the end describing the research both author and illustrator did to prepare for writing and illustrating the book also. But sometimes my young students surprise me with how emotionally they connect to a story. This was one of those times. They loved Horace and his story. They loved how he persevered. They noticed that after the war he was sad. They could tell by the colors in his art. They also noticed that Melissa Sweet was also the illustrator of the series, Pinky and Rex!

Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy

Growing up in the 1930's Betty didn't like to do what was acceptable or "normal" for little girls. She liked playing with trucks and dreamed of flying one day. My second graders are always shocked to find out that not very long ago girls weren't allowed to do all the things they can do now. They are stunned when they learn that women couldn't vote either in "the olden days". When Betty is not selected to be an astronaut they yell, "That's not fair." At the end of our reading one of my students suggested that Betty might be a lot like Horace Pippin. She found a way to do what she dreamed, even though everyone said she couldn't because she was a girl. Horace finds a way to do what he dreams too.

Abe's Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

I grew up in the "Land of Lincoln", so I have a real soft spot in my heart for Abraham Lincoln. Standing before the Lincoln Memorial for the first time a few years ago I actually had tears in my eyes. Kadir Nelson's illustrations are stunning and mesmerizing. I love how Doreen Rappaport's telling of Lincoln's life shows how he overcome so many obstacles. My student's know he was the 16th president, but this book really provides something new for them. Doreen Rappaport has a ton of other biographies that I would also recommend. And please be sure to check out Kadir Nelson's Nelson Mandela, which I have not read to my class yet!

Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Matt Tavares

There are so many, many books written on Helen Keller! You might think you have seen them all, read them all, and an author couldn't possibly bring anything new to the story of Helen Keller. But you would be wrong my friend! This is the perfect book for introducing Helen Keller to my second graders. Most have never heard of her before and the the story of her tragic illness is shocking to them. Helen's story is the ultimate of a person who overcomes obstacles in her life. Did I mention how much I love the narrative style of Doreen Rappaport?

Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim and illustrated by Bryan Collier

A powerful story of how young Booker overcomes hardship to learn to read. A truly inspiring story. So many of my students take for granted their right to learn to read and go to school. This book is a gateway to discussing many issues including slavery and the fact that many children in the world still don't learn to read. The story really hits home the value of an education without hitting the reader on the head! Very moving story.

That's my top ten non-fiction picture books for now. I can't wait to read all the other posts!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Thanks to Jen at TeachMentorText and Kellee at UnleashingReaders for the weekly meme highlighting children's literature - picture books to young adult. Don't forget to visit their sites so you can see what everyone else is reading this week!

Poppy the Pirate Dog by Liz Kessler and illustrated by Mike PhillipsMy second graders just love dogs. And this early chapter book is a perfect addition to my class library. In this story Poppy is afraid of boats and her family struggles to find a way to help her enjoy their vacation by the sea.

Bean Dog and Nugget: The Ball by Charise Mericle HarperSuper silly beginner graphic novel starring lovable stick figure-ish characters. I could see my students writing and drawing their own Bean Dog and Nugget stories. I think this is the beginning of a series too, which would be fun.

This is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James Ransome

The book tells the story of an African American family's history as they move north for a better life. The rope serves different purposes as it is passed from one generation to the next. I love Jacqueline Woodson's books. In this story she is able to show how a family stays close together, looks for a better life, yet continues to remember their past. And she does this with a rope! It ties the story together. Get it? I'm so funny. I would recommend the book for grade 3 and up. And did I mention the illustrations? I love how realistic they are.

Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by John O'BrienThis book tells of Thomas Jefferson's love of books and how that love helped to create our Library of Congress. Along with the main text, each page is filled with additional information written in an alternate font and floated throughout the illustrations. A great way to introduce one of our founding fathers while focusing on the love of reading. A few years ago, I finally got to visit Washington D.C. and take a tour of the Library Congress. It was wonderful! The building is beautiful and the docents do an amazing job with the tour. Seeing the collection that Jefferson donated to the library was exciting, even though most of his original books have been replaced due to a fire in the library.

Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney

This book tells the story of the 1960 Woolworth sit-ins, where 4 students sat at the Woolworth lunch counter to stage a peaceful protest. A great read aloud that explains the sit-in and other related student demonstrations that occurred during the civil rights movement. I would recommend for grade 4 and up.

The Watermelon Seed by Greg PizzoliWhat child hasn't worried about swallowing a watermelon seed? This book takes a look at the crocodile's fears once he realizes he has swallowed a seed. Will he grow a watermelon vine in his tummy? Perfect beginner book, but a terrific read aloud as well.

Wednesday, February 19th, I will participate in 10 for 10 Non-fiction books. Click on the image to find out more about this event! What books have you been reading?